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Biomechanics: Linear kinematics · Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration

How displacement, velocity and acceleration describe an athlete's straight-line motion, from sprint starts to free fall.

Biomechanics · 29 questions

Try 3 questions

1. A runner completes one full lap of a 400 m track and stops exactly where they started. What is their displacement?

  1. About 127 meters
  2. Zero meters
  3. 400 meters
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Answer: Zero meters

Displacement is the straight-line change in position from start to finish. Ending at the starting point means zero displacement, even though the distance covered is 400 m.

2. What is the key difference between velocity and speed?

  1. Velocity includes a direction; speed does not
  2. Velocity applies only to straight-line motion
  3. Velocity is measured over shorter time spans
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Answer: Velocity includes a direction; speed does not

Velocity is a vector: it has a size and a direction. Speed is a scalar that only tells how fast something moves.

3. A swimmer swims 50 m down the pool and 50 m back in 100 seconds. What are their average speed and average velocity?

  1. Speed 1 m/s, velocity 1 m/s
  2. Speed 0.5 m/s, velocity 1 m/s
  3. Speed 1 m/s, velocity 0 m/s
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Answer: Speed 1 m/s, velocity 0 m/s

Average speed is total distance over time (100 m / 100 s). Average velocity is displacement over time, and returning to the start gives zero displacement.

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